Page 49 of Wicked Highland Wishes
“I ken that, Lachlan. Ye are a faithful brother, and Graham will come to realize it in time. I’m away now to the great hall to listen to the sennight complaints from all the clansmen.”
“I dunnae envy ye that having to hear what vexes everyone on such a regular basis,” Lachlan replied.
Iain chuckled. “Do ye remember how we used to hide in the great hall and listen to Da give out his judgments and we would pretend to be laird?”
“I recall,” Lachlan said, having a clear memory of Graham hiding with them. Tightness tugged at his chest as Iain made his way out of the storeroom.
Lachlan heard Iain making his farewells to Marion, but he did not move to follow his brother out. He stood there as memories of the past swirled around him. There had been a time, before their sister’s death, that he and Graham had been close. He hoped that time would come again, that Graham would forgive him the past and quickly embrace a new future.
Marion appeared in the doorway and startled him out of his musings. “Come speak with me as I mix the potion.”
Lachlan nodded and followed Marion to the table where she was working. They stood in silence for a spell, and then Marion spoke. “Bridgette is my dearest friend.”
He nodded again, sure that Marion was slowly making her way to her point. “You have her heart,” she went on. “Don’t break it.”
He struggled momentarily to find words, as his surprise at Marion’s declaration and warning was immense. Had Bridgette told Marion that he had her heart? Iain had said something similar. Fierce satisfaction rose in him and stirred an emotion he could not name. He studied Marion, deciding whether to ask her, but he had no right to ask of Bridgette’s heart yet. When the time came that he could, however, hewouldask. “I dunnae intend to hurt her, Marion, but ye ken the complications that lie ahead.”
“I do,” she said on a sigh. “But I have to believe all will be resolved for the two of you.”
He needed to believe that, too, because each day that passed, he was coming to suspect more and more that Bridgette had his heart, and he could not imagine if their time never came. The ache in his gut made him think of Graham and how his brother was going to feel to learn Bridgette was not going to marry him. Guilt lay heavy in Lachlan. “I want ye to ken I would nae hurt my brother deliberately. So I will wait as long as it takes for Graham to forget Bridgette before I try to have a chance with her.”
Marion set her hand on his arm. “You don’t need to convince me you love your brother, Lachlan, nor that you’re honorable. I have always known it. You display honor every day in how you interact with people, and you revealed the depth of your love for your brother when you stepped back to allow him to pursue a woman who I am positive you knew you were drawn to in a special way. I wonder if Graham would have done the same for you, though.” Marion tilted her head as she waited for him to respond.
He’d wondered much the same. Given Graham always wanted to best him in all things and then became angry when he failed to do so, Lachlan suspected he would not have. “I kinnae say for certain what Graham would have done if the circumstances were reversed. I only did what I felt was right. I made a vow to keep my brother safe long ago, and I have tried my best to uphold it.”
Marion nodded. “I know of the vows your mother required each of you to make. Iain told me. I suspect, though, that your mother never intended for you to lose something precious in order to preserve Graham’s pride. And think upon this—Iain asked you to put your life at risk to help rescue me when I was being held captive in England. Did you hate him? Do you think he broke his vow to defend you?”
“Nay, but that’s different. Ye dunnae have my heart.” Marion gave him a mock frown, and he chuckled. “Ye ken what I mean. Ye have my heart as Iain’s wife and now as part of our family, but that’s different.”
She looked at him thoughtfully for a long moment. “I agree it is. But I’m not convinced Graham loves Bridgette. I think he wants her, for certain, but I think what drives that desire has to do with besting you.”
Lachlan frowned. “Ye’re wrong. I’ve nae made a single mention of any interest in Bridgette.”
She shrugged. “I did not say I had it perfectly solved. It’s a feeling in my gut.”
“Yer gut is wrong,” he growled, rejecting the thought that his brother would set out to win Bridgette because he suspected Lachlan was drawn to her.
Marion sighed. “Perchance.”
Certain he did not want to stand here for any more questions of the heart, Lachlan quickly said farewell and left Marion to her work. He decided to go to the stables to see about the new shoes he’d asked be put on his horse, and when he entered the courtyard, he spotted Bridgette teaching some young boys how to shoot.
Lachlan leaned against the stone wall and watched her. Her unbound red hair swung at the side of her face, hiding her expression, but she finally reached up and tucked it behind her ear. She wore the kindest smile, and it stole his breath. He ached to go to her, talk to her, touch her, simply be near her.
“What are ye doing?” Helena demanded, suddenly by his side.
He blinked, shocked that he had been so consumed with staring at Bridgette that he had not noticed Helena’s approach. “Preparing to train,” he lied.
She pressed her lips together in hard line. “And does that training involve staring at yer brother’s woman?”
“I was watching her training technique,” he ground out. His protective instinct flared within him. He had no doubt that Helena, who was likely used to men falling at her feet, had become jealous of Bridgette and was placing the blame on her for his lack of enthusiasm for joining with Helena herself. He had to do something to mollify Helena’s tender feelings before she did something to hurt Bridgette.
“Ye’re lying,” she accused, her lip curling. “I’ve tried to puzzle out why ye have nae taken what I have offered ye, and now I ken the problem is nae me but her.” Helena’s lower lip quivered, whether from anger or hurt he was not sure. He felt a terrible guilt, though. Perchance Helena had been given no choice in regard to pledging herself to him and what she had been ordered to do.
“Helena,” he started in a soothing tone. “It is nae that ye’re lacking in any way.”
Her chin tilted up in a defiant gesture. “It’s that ye’re pining for yer brother’s lass.”
“Nay,” he managed, though Helena was partially correct. He did want Bridgette, but she was not Graham’s lass.
